Targeted retention incentive payments for school teachers
Eligible chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics teachers can apply for targeted retention incentive payments until March 2025.
Applies to England
Apply for a targeted retention incentive payment
Apply to claim a payment. You need to apply before 31 March 2025.
You can also set up a reminder to apply for a payment in the future.
What you’ll get
The targeted retention incentive payment ranges from £3,000 to £6,000, from the 2024 to 2025 academic year, depending on the school you teach in.
Eligible teachers of the following subjects can claim a targeted retention incentive payment for teaching in eligible state-funded secondary schools:
- chemistry
- computing
- mathematics
- physics
When to apply
You can apply from October in the 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026 academic years.
Use the table to find out when you can apply for a targeted retention incentive payment. If you are a postgraduate, use the academic year your initial teacher training (ITT) course started. If you’re an undergraduate, use the academic year your ITT course finished.
| ITT course start or finish | Academic year in which to apply |
|---|---|
| 2019 to 2020 | 2024 |
| 2020 to 2021 | 2024 and 2025 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 2024 and 2025 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 2024 and 2025 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 2024 and 2025 |
| 2024 to 2025 | 2025 |
The academic year normally runs from 1 September to 31 August. Some ITT courses may start slightly earlier, such as from 1 June, but should be treated as starting in the following academic year. Applications open in October of the year shown.
You will not be able to make a claim for a specific year once the application window for that year has closed.
Eligibility criteria
You must meet the eligibility criteria to be able to claim any additional payments.
From 14 October 2024 to 31 March 2025, you’ll be able to answer some questions to find out what additional payments you’re eligible to claim.
You’ll only be able to claim either an early career payment or targeted retention incentive payment per academic year, even if you’re eligible to claim for both payments.
Learn more about what additional payments are available.
School eligibility and payment amount
Targeted retention incentive payments are offered to teachers in schools identified as having a high need for teachers. If you teach in an eligible school in an education investment area, you’ll receive a higher payment.
We have produced a that explains our funding approach.
Qualifications
To claim, you must have completed at least one of the following:
- an ITT course specialising in mathematics, physics, chemistry or computing
- a UK undergraduate or postgraduate degree related to mathematics, physics, chemistry or computing on the JACS 3.0 principal subject codes or with a relevant
- an equivalent non-UK degree
If you were awarded qualified teacher status (QTS) through assessment only or overseas recognition in an eligible academic year, you’ll be eligible if you completed one of these qualifications.
QTS and QTLS
You must have either:
- qualified teacher status (QTS)
- qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS) status and membership of the Society for Education and Training
Employment
You must be employed as a teacher in a state-funded secondary school (or middle-deemed secondary school) in England when you apply for the payment. State-funded schools include:
- local-authority-maintained secondary schools
- academies, free schools or multi-academy trusts
- local-authority-maintained or non-maintained special schools
You must have spent at least 50% of your contracted hours allocated to teaching one or more of the eligible subjects at the time of the application.
Supply, independent school and sixth-form college teachers
If you’re a supply teacher, you must:
- be employed directly by the school
- have been working for at least one term before applying
If you’re employed by a private supply-teaching agency or teach in an independent school, you’re not eligible.
Part-time teachers
If you’re a part-time teacher, you’re eligible for the same targeted retention incentive payment amount as a full-time teacher.
You still need to meet all the eligibility criteria.
Breaks in teaching
You’re still eligible if you have some breaks in your normal employment such as:
- sickness
- maternity, paternity, parental or adoption leave
You should apply for payments as usual during these breaks before the claim window closes each year.
Performance
You must not currently be subject to any:
- formal performance measures as a result of continuous poor teaching standards
- disciplinary action
Payments
We make the payment in one lump sum.
If you’re eligible for both the targeted retention incentive and early career payments, you can only claim one of these additional payments in the same academic year.
However, if you’re eligible to claim back your student loan repayments, you’ll be able to claim these as well as a targeted retention incentive payment or an early career payment.
Taxable income and National Insurance
We’ll pay National Insurance and basic rate Income Tax for the payment on your behalf. If you are or become a higher-rate taxpayer, you’ll need to pay any Income Tax at the higher rate through PAYE.
The payment is not part of your salary from your employer. You, your employer or the government will not make a contribution to your pension as part of this payment.
Your payment, along with the Income Tax and National Insurance contributions paid on your behalf, will all count towards your income. You should consider how this will affect any other benefits or tax credits.
Student loan deductions
If you have a student loan you’re currently paying off, a deduction will go towards repaying it. This is automatically taken from your payment.
Contact
For any queries about targeted retention incentive payments, email:
schools-targeted.retention-incentive@education.gov.uk.
Updates to this page
Last updated 14 October 2024 + show all updates
-
Applications for the 2024 to 2025 academic year are now open. We have updated the page to reflect this, and updated the list of eligible schools.
-
Updated to clarify that eligible teachers can claim for the 2024 to 2025 academic year from 14 October 2024.
-
Updated the email address for queries about targeted retention incentive payments.
-
First published.